Vertical-control device for airplanes



Sept. 25 1923. 7 1,465??? B. w BLOOMQUIST VERTICAL CONTROL DEVICE FORAIRPLANES 0 Filed Sent. 25 1922 3 49 49% a? 3 55 5% 34- 36 2 as s 37 4929 39 55 I INVENTOR 42 E 5 fiernkardi WBZoomgal'si Byr I ATTORNEYPatented Sept. 25, 1323.

BMNHARDT W. BLOOMQUIST, 01F SEATTLE,

VERTICAL-CONTROL DEVICE FOR AIRPLANES.

Application filed September 25, 1922. Serial We. 590,338.

To all whom it may concemh I Be it known that I, BERNHARIYI W.BLOOMQUIST, a citizen of no country, and a native of Finland, havinglegally declared my intentions of becoming a citizen of the UnitedStates, and residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State ofWashington, have invented a new and useful Vertical- Control Device fdrAirplanes, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to vertical control devices for airplanes and theprincipal object of the invention is to provide a vertical controlcomprising prope lers arranged to lift the airplanevertically from theground. Another object is to fprovide automatic means whereby the slant0 the blades may be regulated to increase or decrease the lifting powerof said propellers at all times. further object is to provide arelatively large overhead wing surface symmetrically disposed above thecenter of gravity of the machine body and adapted to serve as aparachute while descending.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists of the novel construction,adaptation, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter describedand claimed.

objects are accomplished by devices illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings wherein- Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation with certain parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a view in transverse vertical sectiontaken substantially on abroken line 3, 3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the reciprocating track membersand associated arts.

Referring to the drawings, throughout which like reference numeralsdesignate like parts, the numeral 5 designates the body of an airplanehaving a propeller 6 driven by an engine partly shown at 7 for goingahead. The numeral 8-designates the overhead wing which is secured tosaid body by stay rods 9, while the numeral 10 indicates the rudder andthe numeral 11 indicates a deck or floor- An engine 12, shown inoutline, is centrally mounted on the flooring 11 and a horizontalpropeller shaft 13 extending forward and aft from said engine is mountedin bearings 14 and 15 adjacent the outer end ortions thereof. Bevel gearwheels 16 an 17,

secured to the outer ends of said shaft, mesh with smaller gears 18 and19 secured to vertical shafts 20 and 21.

The vertical shafts 20 and 21 are secured at their lower ends in ballbearin 22' and 23 fastened to the flooring 11.

of the body 5, serve as bearings for said vertical shafts and ballbearings 26 and 27, bearing upwardly thereagainst, support the Wei ht ofsaid body.

ubs 28 .and 29 are fixedly secured to the upper ends of the shafts 20and 21 and spokes 30 and 31 have their inner ends secured thereto inspaced apart radial relation and ransverse members 24 and'25, securedacross the top The inner ends of said blades terminate short of saidhubs and are beveled as clearly shown in Fig, 1 of the drawings, androllers 38 and 39 are operatively secured to the'iinderside cornersthereof for reasons presently set forth.

Standards are provided in transverse alignment with the'shafts 20 and 21comprising uprights 40 and 41 joined to ether by straps 42' extendingaround the un erside of the body 5. Said standards converge upwardly andare bifurcated at their u per end portions to form arms a3 and 4:4. aidarms are curved inwardly and their end portions are further bifurcatedto form pairs of upright fingers 4:5 and 46.- Webs 47 join said. arms tocentral ball bearings 48 through which said vertical shafts pass thusserving to retain same in upright alignment.

Each pair of fingers 45 and 46 serves as supporting bearings for outertrack members dQ'and also for inner track members 50 telescopicallymounted therein. Said outer track members are provided withdiametrically opposite depending rods 51, while said inner track moreers are rovided with corresponding rods 52. Sai rods are di osed intransverse ali out with th she. ts 20 and 21,\and upright standardmembers e0 and 41. The lower ends of said rods are pivotally secured tolevers 53 and 54 extending through and pivotally secured withinapertures provided in said upright standard members as clearly shown inFig. 3.

The rollers 38 are arranged to engage the outer track members 49 whilethe rollers 39. engage the inner track members 50 and it will be obviousthat by operatin the levers 53 and 54; simultaneously vertica reciprocalmotion will be communicated through said track members to said rollersand will cause the propeller blades 36 and 37 to assume any pitch whichmay be desired in causing the machine to climb vertically from the ound.It will be understood that the machine is pellers, although same may begeared to a single engine both for going ahead and climbing.

Although not shown in the drawings, it is intended in practice toconnect both pairs of levers 53 and 54 to a single control rod in anysuitable manner and so arranged that the pilot or engineer may manuallyregulate the pitch of the overhead propeller blades, by hand or by foot,from a central or other convenient position.

While the foregoing description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings is intended merel for illustration, it will beobvious, when t e device is built in the properproportions, that themachine will lift itselfvertically from the ground, and, in conjunctionwith the engine and propeller for oing ahead, may be maneuvered at will.In act the perfect control of the pitch of the propeller blades willenable the machine to stand still in the air, while the parachutearrangement of the overhead wing surface will enable same to descendvertically to the ground.

Having thus described my device, it being understood that such changesmay be resorted to as are within the scope and spirit of the invention,what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is In combinationwith the body of an airplane of a vertical control device cc mprising arelatively large wing surface symmetricall secured above said body, ahorizontal shaft mounted within said body, driving means for said shaft,vertical shafts geared to said horizontal shaft, anti-friction bearingsfor said shafts, hubs secured to the upper ends of said vertical shafts,spokes radi-. ally secured to said hubs in the plane of said wingsurface, rims secured to the outer ends of said spokes within annularapertures in said win surface, roller bearings for said rims, prope lerblades pivotally mounted on said spokes, said blades havin beveled innerends terminatin short of said hubs, standards having bifurcated arms andfingers, outer and inner annular track members telescopically mounted insaid standards, rollers secured to the inner corners of said propellerblades adapted to enga e said track members, and lever means a apted toimpart reciprocal movement to said track members to regulate the pitchof said propeller blades.

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